The health belief model, grounded in John Atkinson’s expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation, proposes that people are rational decision makers who, during decision making, take into consideration advantages and disadvantages associated with physical activity. The theory also posits that motivation is unidimensional and that the construct of intentions, which represents motivation, is one of the
The developed world has transformed from industrialized societies organized around the production of goods by machines into technocracies: societies organized around evolution through the development of sophisticated technologies and the global flow of information through these technologies. Thus, Davis-Floyd has labeled its dominant health care paradigm “the technocratic model of medicine” to highlight biomedicine’s precise
Ethics is at the heart of health communication. Ethical issues are embedded in a wide array of health communication activities that aim to influence people’s health-related beliefs or behaviors. These activities include disseminating information about particular health risks, persuading people to adopt healthy lifestyles or to persuade others to adopt healthy lifestyles, and modeling healthy
The health belief model (HBM), prodigiously researched, has enjoyed sustained popularity amid evolving social norms, theories and models, and the recent developments of advanced technology influencing health behavior change. Developed by US Public Health Service social psychologists in the 1950s, the HBM was conceptualized to model the failure of individuals to engage in disease prevention
Health communication campaigns have long been a tool used to influence the health of the public in countries around the world. Campaigns are an organized set of communication activities to produce health effects or outcomes in a relatively large number of individuals, typically within a specified period of time (Rogers & Storey 1987). The history
The functions of modern mass media to give information, to provide orientation, and to promote health-related behaviors are widely recognized within the field of health communication. The media of television, radio, newspapers, and magazines influence intentionally or unintentionally, and mass media health campaigns are used purposively and effectively to change health practices. Nevertheless, the existing
The news media are an important source of health information, not just for the general public, but also for patients, for doctors and the medical community, for entertainment producers in search of story ideas, and for policymakers and funding organizations. Journalistic practices favor the use of established sources, so public health and medical journals are
Eliminating health disparities is one of the most pressing global health issues. In the United States, health disparities have been examined primarily as differences in groups based on racial, class, and ethnic classifications. Globally, the issue focuses on the differences between developing and developed nations in health status and access to state of the art
The association between education and health outcomes has been well documented, and education has historically been used as an indicator for socioeconomic status in epidemiological studies (Pamuk et al. 1998). Researchers hypothesize that education may protect against disease by influencing lifestyle behaviors, problem-solving abilities, and values. Other researchers have demonstrated a strong association between education
It is widely recognized that cultural norms, values, beliefs, and practices vary among population sub-groups, and influence how members of a group seek, understand, process, communicate, and act upon information about health. Ignoring these cultural differences during health and medical system interactions can have serious consequences that lead to or exacerbate disparities in health status